This invention relates generally to a device for an method of wrapping a bale of ruminant animal feedstuff, such as a bale of hay, and injecting a chemical treatment, and more particularly to a device for ammoniating a bale of hay for increasing the crude protein content of the bale, and to a method which permits one individual to do this.
As is known, a ruminant animal has the ability to convert poor quality roughages and nonprotein nitrogen into high quality protein. This conversion is accomplished by bacteria present in the rumen. However, a ruminant is not highly efficient in transforming forages into ruminant products such as meat and milk. One major factor that limits this efficiency is the level of nitrogen in the diet. Forages containing a low level of crude protein are not as valuable for the ruminant as are forages containing higher levels. For this reason, urea and other nonprotein nitrogen compounds have been used to boost the crude protein content of roughages containing low levels of nitrogen. Also, numerous studies have been conducted in which crop residues or agricultural products were treated with ammonia (NH.sub.3) for the purpose of increasing the crude protein content and/or digestibility of the roughage. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,278, dated Mar. 23, 1982, for a summary background of various methods for the chemical treatment of animal feedstuffs to increase the crude protein content thereof.
Heretofore, however, the treatment of animal feedstuffs, such as in the form of a bale of hay, has been a cumbersome, labor-intensive undertaking requiring a considerable amount of machinery and/or manpower.